Firearm



K. J. LOWE Feb. 13, 1945.

FIREARM Original Filed Nov. 28, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet l I m 1 I I a W III/1114011114, I 53 IIIIIIIIIJ' III INV ENTOR Aemzf/z J Zmz/e BY v v Fb. 13 1945. J owE 2,369,244

FIREARM Original Filed Nov. 28, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fqj .5

INVENTOR i'fi 'ennezfk J Lou/e ATTORNEYS Patented Feb. 13, 1945 Kenneth J-. Lowe, Ilion, N. Y1, assignor to Reming-ton Arms Company, Inc'., a; corporation of 1 Delaware Original application November 28, 1939', Serial No.

Divided and this application October 2', 1942, Serial No. 460,489

1: claim. .(Cl. 42-17) This invention relates to firearms, and contemplates improvements in cartridge feed" mechanism", particularly devices for feeding cartridges from-atubula'r magazine located beneath the barrel to a position in front of the breech bolt.

The present application is a division of prior application Serial No. 306,457, filed November 28, 1939, now Patent No. 2,356,257, August 22, 1944.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is" a sectional" side elevation of as much of a firearm as is necessary to show the application of the invention thereto; the breech mechanism" of the gun being closed.

Fig; 2 is a View substantiallysimilar to Fig. 1 but" showing the breech bolt fully retracted and the cartridge'feed mechanism in a corresponding position.

Fig; 3 is a" similar view, showing the breech bolt. in an intermediate position during its forward movement, the cartridge feed mechanism in its fully operated position, and a cartridge in position to bethrust'i'nto'the chamber as the breech bolt completes its forward movement.

Fig; 4 is a side elevation of the cartridge feed block removed from the'receiver.

Fig; 5 is a rear elevation of the cartridge feed block shown in Fig. 4.

Fig; 6 is a horizontal section through the cartridge feed block substantially on the line 6-6 of Fig. 4.

Fig. '7 is a sectional elevation similar to'Figs. 1 to 3; showing the breech bolt in an intermediate position in its rearward or breech opening movement, in which the cartridge which isto be fed into the chamber is positioned beneath and engages the forwardportionof the'breech bolt.

The'firearm' comprises a barrel I 5 secured to a receiver l6, preferably by means of transverse grooves I! in the barrel and apertures l8 the receiver; said apertures being adapted to receive securing pins l9' which maybe provided with a plurality of radial projectionswhich in assemblybolt isastriker 34, and the lower mid-portion of bolt 32' is out transversely togive access to the striker; Said transverse cut terminates rearwardly in a shoulder 35' which functions in coniunction Withthe cartridge feeding devices in a manner to'be described.

Integral with the forward end of the breech bolt is a depending rib 40, the front end of which is flush with the face ofv the breech bolt and engages the head of a cartridge to initiate its movement from the cartridgefeed block to the chamber. Rib 4'0 terminates rearwardly in a shoulder 36 having a function to be described.

Extractors ll and 42 are mounted in the forward end of' the breech bolt at opposite sides thereof.

The cartridge feed block (Fig. 4), identified generally by numeral llll, is secured in thelower forward portion of the receiver and is preferably held in placeby the aforementioned assembly pins E9, the lower portions of which occupy grooves 32 in thefeed block, which grooves match with the grooves I"! in the barrel.

The block comprises a longitudinal bore I03 adapted to receive the end portion of a tubular magazine [04, the forward end of which is supported below the barrel in the usual manner. Ihe tubular magazine contains the usual spring I05 and springfollower I06 by which the column of cartridges therein is thrust rearwardly. Aligned with the bore I03 of the feed block is a bore of a diameter suitable to receive the cartridges as delivered one at a time from the tubular magazine, the rearmost cartridge coming to rest against shoulders I01 at the end of said bore. The rear end of the feed block comprises a vertical slot through which operate the cartridge feeding devices to be described. The block is likewise slotted vertically above the aforement'ioned cartridge receiving bore to permit the passage of the' body of a cartridge, and the walls bounding said block comprise vertical recesses Hi8 traversed by the rim of the cartridge in its upward movement.

At the upper rear end of the block are inturned cartridge retainers I09 spaced b a distance which does not permit the passage of the body of a cartridge but does permit the passage of" the cartridge feeding rib 40 on the bolt, the inturned retainers Hi9 traversing the grooves. 38 and 39. Forward from the retainers 09 are notches bounded by the forwardly and upwardly inclined rear ends iii of ribs ll2,,said'ribs being spaced by a distance which permits the passage of the body of a cartridge but not the rim thereof. It will be apparent that as a cartridge is thrust forward from under the retainers ['09 by the breech bolt rib 40 the rim thereof rides up the inclines l l l and along the fiat upper margins chamber by the breech bolt rib.

The cartridge in the bottom of the feed block in alignment with the tubular magazine is yieldingly retained against upward movement from this position by a suitable yieldable retainer; the form of retainer which has been illustrated (Fig. 6) comprises a stiff wire i I3 lying in a longitudinal slot I I 4 in one of the side walls of the feed block. The end portions of this wire are offset and laterally engage the bottoms of recesses H5 and H6 communicating with said slot H4. The mid-portion of the wire is engaged by a spring II! which is compressed by a screw II 8 held in the side of the receiver. Thus, the cartridge in the bottom of the feed block cannot be accidentally displaced upwardly, but a positive pressure thereon will compress the spring and permit its upward movement, its rim traversing the aforementioned vertical slots I08 inthe interior side walls of the feed block. Other similar and equivalent forms of a yieldable retainer ma be employed if desired.

To move a cartridge from its position in the bottom of the feed block to a position immediately beneath the retainers I09 at the proper time, that is when the breech bolt has been fully retracted, suitable means are provided, one form of which is described as follows: Upon the pin 12 is pivoted an actuator or elevator II9 provided with an upstanding arm I adapted for engagement upon its forward edge with the breech bolt shoulder 36, said forward edge being inclined to permit the breech bolt to move thereover (Fig. 2) after the actuator has been rocked the desired amount by such engagement. The rearward edge of arm I20 is engaged by the breech bolt shoulder 35 to restore the actuator to normal position as the breech bolt approaches its forward position. Adjacent the pin I2 the actuator is provided with a hub I2I upon which is pivoted a cartridge feed lever or cartridge lifter I22. Movement of the cartridge feed lever with respect to the actuator is limited by a stud or stop abutment I23 projecting from the actuator into a slot I24 in the feed lever. The feed lever is urged upwardly with respect to the actuator by means of a spring or yieldable means I29 compressed between a laterally and forwardly turned ear 925 on the actuator and a foot I26 on the feed lever. Preferably, spring retaining pilots I21 and 28 are formed integral with the ear I and the foot I28 for retaining the spring I29 in place. The actuator II9 comprises an arcuate forward face I30 adapted to engage the head of the rearmost cartridge in place throughout the displacement of the actuator from its normal position. In the lower portion of the face I30 is an arcuate recess I3I adapted, when the actuator is in its uppermost position. to receive the rounded end of a pin I 32 partially housed in a recess in the feed block and urged rearwardly by a spring I33. The engagement of pin I32 in the recess I3I serves to yieldingly retain the actuator in its uppermost (operated) position during the forward movement of the breech bolt after the bolt rib has moved out of contact with the arm I20.

The operation of the cartridge feed mechanism may be described as follows: When the tubular magazine is loaded and the breech closed, the mechanism is in the condition illustrated in Fig. 1. A cartridge lies in the bottom of the feed block, being thrust against the shoulders ID! by the pressure of the column of cartridges in the tubular magazine, the cartridges being urged rearwardly by the magazine spring. The cartridge in the bottom of the feed block is yieldingly retained against upward displacement by the retainer wire H3. The actuator and cartridge feed lever are in their lowermost positions, their upper surfaces being beneath the cartridge. If the breech bolt is now unlocked and retracted, during its rearward movement, shoulder 36 engages and passes over the arm I20, rocking the actuator counterclockwise and elevating the portion thereof in front of pivot 12. The cartridge in the feed block which overlies the actuator and cartridge feed lever is engaged by the upper surface of said feed lever and, as the actuator is moved, the spring I29 is compressed and energy stored therein until sufficient force is exerted upon the cartridge to cause the retainer to yield, thereby allowing the cartridge to be moved upwardly towards the inturned retainers I 09. This happens before the movement of the actuator is completed. Upward movement of the cartridge is first stopped by its contact with the rib 40 on the breech bolt (Fig. 7). As the bolt is further retracted the cartridge rises into contact with the retainers I09 and the cartridge feed lever spring is again compressed; the parts assuming the position illustrated in Fig. 2. The movement of the actuator has brought the recess I 3| into alignment with the pin I32 which is engaged therein to retain the actuator during forward movement of the breech bolt. As the breech bolt completes its rearward movement, its face passes to the rear of the ejector TI and the fired shell which has been extracted from the chamber is ejected. Immediately thereafter rearward movement of the breech bolt is stopped by the engagement of the forward edge 15 of the trigger with shoulder 36. As the breech bolt moves forward, the face of the breech bolt rib engages the head of the cartridge held in the top of the feed block and thrusts this cartridge forwardly out from under the inturned retainers I09. As it passes from the retainers, said cartridge is free to move upwardly and is so moved by the cartridge feed lever under the compression of the spring I29. This movement insures the proper engagement of .the rim of the cartridge under the claws of the extractors 4| and 42. The rim of the cartridge thereafter moves upwardly along the inclined rear edges I I I of the ribs I I2 and is carried into the chamber. As the breech bolt approaches its forward position, the rear face of arm I20 of the actuator is engaged by shoulder 35 on the breech bolt, and the actuator and cartridge feed lever are restored to their normal (Fig. 1) position. As the actuator passes below the rearmost cartridge in the magazine, this cartridge is moved to the rear by the magazine spring, leaving the parts again in the condition shown in Fig. 1.

The invention is not considered as limited to the specific construction shown and described by way of illustration, since it extends to all equiva- .lent constructions falling within the scope of the appended claim.

I claim:

A firearm comprising a chambered barrel, 2. receiver, a chamber-closing breech bolt reciprocable in said receiver, a tubular cartridge magazine supported beneath said barrel, a feed block in said receiver communicating with said tubular magazine and comprising passages adapted for the transfer of cartridges one at a time from a position in alignment with said tubular magazine into position to be engaged and moved into said chamber by said breech bolt, means for yieldably retaining a cartridge in said feed block in sub stantial alignment with said tubular magazine comprising a lateral slot in a side wall of said feed block, a yielding device held in said slot and projecting therethrough into the path of transfer of cartridges through said feed block, and means at the top of said feed block for retaining a cartridge therein in position for engagement by said breech bolt; and means for transferring a cartridge through said feed block comprising an actuator having a portion arranged for engagement by said breech bolt and a portion underlying a cartridge in said feed block provided with a face arranged to close the passage from said tubular magazine to said breech block when said actuator is in displaced position, and a detent for yieldably retaining said actuator in displaced position arranged for engagement with a portion of said cartridge stopping face.

KENNETH J. LOWE. 

